a Sala

ced myself to walk, to appear normal. Getting home was a victory, but it felt hollow. The f

ching, her hand occasionally ruffling his hair. He looked up when I entered, his eyes meeting mine for a fleeting secon

ecause Debbra used to ca

a smile. My mouth felt dry, cracked. "Hi, Elwin. H

etie?" She wore the silk robe I' d bought for her birthday, the one I' d admired for months befo

he fireplace. My spot. The place I always stood when I came home,

I held a thick envelope in my hand. "Ac

or me? Juliana, you shouldn't have. You always spoil me." Her eye

o the Salazar family home, the house our parents built, the one I had saved from forecl

ment. Her eyes widened, her breath catching in her throat. "Juliana... this i

t like it was crumbling into dust. "A gift. A special gift for a special frien

-crossed her face. Then, she quickly regained her innocent facade, her eyes welling up with tears. "

ds cold and clear in my mind. My future was meas

g you and Dalton have been doing." Her eyes flickered, but she held my gaze, her acting impeccable.

damp. He froze, seeing us so close, my head near Debbra's ear.

Juliana is so good to me! She's given me the house! Our house!" She sobbed into hi

eadable. A mix of shock, relief, and a hint of a

turned to Elwin, who was still glued to his game, barely acknowledging m

g the screen. Then, without looking at me, he turned to

ble curve of her lips. "Of course, sweetie. An

nocent voice, my brother' s voic

yself. The physical pain was a dull throb compared to the gaping wound in my soul. My

crumpled to the floor, my body wracked with sobs. The cancer, usually a silent, insidious killer, roared to life, its tend

d they had alre

, glittering jewelry. Everything I had worked for, everything I owned. Soon, it would all be her

eyes hollow. A ghost already. "Three weeks," I whispered to the st

orever haunted. Tonight was just the beginning. The revelation of their deceit, meticulously planned, would be my final,